The Summer Wind: Narbonne (3)

On Day 3 I was very slow to get out of the hostel, partly because I was checking out, and partly because I got caught up looking at information for my Spanish assistant application on the net. I will need to get moving on this front when I get back from Saint Gaudens!

When I did leave, I decided to head back to the Basilisque Saint-Paul and actually go inside, and am extremely glad that I did. While a lot smaller than the cathedral, I actually liked the atmopshere inside this one a lot more. My tourist map informs me that it is one of the oldest Gothic-style churches in this region of France, and it apparently is a mixture of the Gothic and Roman styles.

Like so many churches over here, it had some spectacularly-painted walls in the chapels. The tourist map has just reminded me about its 'Frog Stoup' (I swear my internet translator is lying to me: stoup is supposedly bénitier).

There were several legends surrounding this, but the generally accepted one is that this frog came along and was croaking during a service so, logically, Saint Paul decided to petrify it.

Just as well a Mass started, as my train was leaving at 10.50am, and time was marching on. So, after a quick stop at a shop where I had seen cheap biscuits and nougat (have food, will travel), it was off to the station again!